Overhead door construction



Feb. 27, 1934. O A ROWE 1,948,769

OVERHEAD DOOR CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 3, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet ,1

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Feb. 27, 1934, 7

A. V. ROWE OVERHEAD DOOR CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug 5, 1929 Patented Feb. 27, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE OVERHEAD DOOR CONSTRUCTION Alvin V. Rowe, Galesburg, Ill., assignor to Rowe Manufacturing Company, Galesburg, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application August 3, 1929. Serial No. 383,302-

Claims. (Cl. -20) invention relates to overhead door constructions and particularly to improvements in overhead door constructions of the type disclosed in the copending application of Douglas A;Wilson, Serial No. 383,301, filed August 3, 1929.'

In the above mentioned copending application an overhead door. construction is disclosed in which a plurality of door panels are adapted to be shifted in a very expeditious manner from one position to another and it is an object of .my present invention to provide improved means whereby door panels of the type set iorth in that applicationrmay be eiTectively clamped against I" thejvdoor jamb when said panels have assumed their vertical position. p

[More specifically my present invention contemplates the provision of a simple and durable actuating mechanism which is operable to shift the-vertical sections of the guide rails so as to positively effect the clamping of the door panels 'panion overlapping edge portions of said panels to be eifectively clamped together when the panels assume their vertical door closing position.

A still further object of my present invention isto provide interlocking door panels with hinge members which are adapted to support rollers in spaced relation withrespect to the inner surface of said panels, said rollers being adapted to op-- mate in vertical guide rails of the fixed or shiftable type, the hinge constructions being such as to insure a sealed interlocking abutment between the companion edges of the door panels.

These and numerous other objects and advan-- tages will appear from the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

with the teachings of my invention. said view being taken sumantially along the line 1-1 of Figure 4;

' Figure 2 is an enlarged detailed side elevational view of abutting portions or the door panel, said panels being shown in closed relation;

in Figure 7. The curved section 46 Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 disclosing said panels in open position;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 00 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5'is a side elevational view taken from the opposite side vof the structure shown in Fig-- ure a Figure 6 is a. viewjof the upper-section of the structure of Figure 5 disclosing the door panels in partially closed position;

Figure 7 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of the vertical guide'rail and support there- 'for taken substantially along the line -7-7 of Figure 6; and

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the upper portion of the mechanism for shifting the vertical guide rail, said shifting mechanism being shown in unclamped position; 7

Referring now to the drawings more in detail wherein like numerals have been employed to designate similar parts throughout the various figures, it will be observed in Figures 1 to 8 inclusive' that my invention contemplates the pro- .0

vision of an overhead door construction having guide rails denoted generally by the numeral 20, said guide rails consisting of an upper section 22 and a lower or vertical section 24. This upper section 22 is secured in a fixed position to the garage overhead structure in any suitable manner not shown, the forward or curved portion of the guide rails being secured to a plate 26 and a support 28 extending outwardly from the door jamb 30, Figures 4 to 6 inclusive. The lower ver-; ticalguide rail 24 is supported by a plurality or spaced supports 32, 34 and 36. These supports 36 comprise a U-shaped section 38 which is secured to the door jamb .in any suitable manner and a section 40 which is provided with a curved slot 42 for receiving a supporting bolt 44 which is secured to the guide rail 24 as clearly shown at the guide rail is adapted to abut a flange 48 hich is coextensive with the section 40 when the guide rail ismoved rearwardly to the position disclosed in V Figures 6, 7 and 8. Figure 1 is a rear elevational view of an overhead door construction equipped in accordance A mechanism is provided in association with each vertical guide rail 24 for causing said guide rail to'be moved toward or away from the door 44 while the upper extremity'is secured to one U end of a coiled spring 54 which spring is suitably secured at its opposite extremity to the door jamb 30. This T-lever 50 is operatively connected with an L-shaped lever 56 by means of a vertical link 58. This L-shaped lever 56 is pivoted at 60 to the support 36 and is secured to the bolt 44' associated with said support. From-the foregoing it will be understood that when the link 58 is moved downwardly so as to cause the lever 50 50 and 56 to the position shown in Figures 6 and 8, said rail sections will be moved away from the door jamb.

The downward movement of the levers 50 and 1 56 is occasioned in response to the engagement of a pin 62, Figures 4 and 5, with each of the levers 50. These pins 62 are carried by a connecting member 64 which forms the connecting medium between a carriage device indicated generally by the numeral 66 and a pin' 66 which passes through hinge members 70. These hinge members '70 serve to connect an upper door panel '72 with the next adjacent door'panel 74. Similar hinge members serve to connect the door panel- 74 with a panel 76 and this panel '76 is also hinged in a similar manner to the lowermost panel 78. Associated with and supported adjacent each of of the hinge devices '70 are rollers 80 which are guided within the rails 22 and 24. The axes of these rollers are equally spaced from the inner surfaces of their companion door sections and it will thus be apparent that when the guide rails 24 are moved toward the door jamb in the manner described above, the door panels will be tightly clamped against said door jambs.

As stated above, I employ a carriage mechanism 66 which is adapted to cause the uppermost panel to be tightly clamped against the door jamb when said panels occupy the positions shown in Figures 1 and 4. For a detailed description of this mechanism 66 attention is directed to the aforementioned copending application of Douglas A. Wilson in which this device is described in detail. It will suflice for an adequate understanding of the present invention to state that this carriage mechanism includes a rocker arm 82 which is pivotally mounted upon a pin 84 and this pin 84 is carried by a plate 86. The plate 86 also suports a roller 88 which rides along the outer flat surface of the guide rail 22. In order to effect the raising of the door panels I employ suitable lifting chains which I have designated by dot and dash lines 90, Figures 1 and 4.

The hinge members '10 are disclosed in detail inFigures 2, 3 and 12 and it will be noted that these hinges include a plate section 92 secured to their companion door panel and angularly disposed ears 94 which extend outwardly from the inner surface of the door panels. The arrangement of the hinges is such as to expedite the positive interlocking engagement between the adjacent edges of the panels. These edges are provided with notches 96 which are designed to receive companion projections 98 in the manner shown in Figures 2 and 3, thereby presenting a ship-lapjoint. By having the axis of the hinge spaced from the inner surface of the door panels I am able to obtain the proper swinging movement of'said panels so as to bring the adjacent edges thereof into proper positions of abutment. It will thus be apparent that my improved means ship-lap joints.

for positively effecting the clamping the panels against the door jamb co-operates with the hinges 70 to effectively seal the'panels in ciosed position.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that my invention contemplates use of the above described hinge construction in connection with movable or fixed vertical guide sin: I tions, said hinge constructions serving with equal effectiveness in each instance. When the described hinge structures are used in connection with the tapered rail section, it is only necessary to have the hinge arms so disposed that the proper variation in the displacement of the axes of the rollers 80 from the inner panel surfaces, is obtained. In connection with the shiftable vertical rail section, the distances of the axes of the rollers 80 from the inner surfaces of the panels are the same and hence there need be no variation in the size of the hinge arms 94 as is the case where the hinges are used in association with a tapered rail section. The described shiftable vertical rail sections serve to positively and tightly secure the door panels against the door jamb and this jamming action is entirely automatic by reason of the engagement of the pin 62 with the T-shaped levers 50 as already described. The coiled springs 54 operate to quickly release the levers 50 and 56 immediately upon the disengagement of the pin 62 from the lever 50. It will thus be apparent that my invention broadly contemplates'the provision of an overhead door construction in which two sealing operations are simultaneously made, namely the sealing of the door panels against the door jamb and the sealing of one panel against the adjacent panelby reason of the above described shiplap joint. As already set forth, the hinge struc tures co-operate to effectively cause the upper panels to be swung rearwardly and bring about a swinging movement between the panels so as to effect the proper opening and closing of the While I have preferred to disclose a specific rail shifting mechanism in connection with the devices shown in Figures 4 to 8 inclusive, it should be understood that other modiflcations might be employed to obtain the same result without departing from the spirit and scope of my present invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a door opening of a garage or structure of like nature, an overhead door construction comprising a plurality of shiftable door panels for traversing said door opening, guide rails for. directing said door panels from one position to another, said guide rails having a substantially vertical section which is movable toward and away from the door jambs, and a lever mechanism operable in response to the closing of the door panels to effect the shifting movement 'of said vertical rail sections toward the door jambs.

2. In combination with a door opening of a garage or structure of like nature, an overhead door construction comprising a plurality of shiftable door panels for traversing said door opening, guide rails for directing said door panels between closed and opened overhead positions, a vertical section of said guide rail being laterally shiftable, a mounting for said vertical rail section, and a lever mechanism pivoted upon said mounting and operable in response to the movement of the door panels for effecting the rail sections.

shifting of said vertical 4 tween closed and opened overhead positions, a

vertical section of said rail being laterally shiftable, actuating means connected with said ver-- tical rail sections, a panel controlling device mounted upon said rail sections for controlling the movement of the uppermost door panel, and means carried by said panel controlling device for engaging said actuating means to efiect the shifting movement of said vertical rail section.

4. In combination with a door opening of a garage or structure of like nature, an overhead door construction comprising a plurality of shiftable door panels for traversing said door opening, guide rails for directing said door panels between closed and opened overhead positions, a vertical section of said rails being laterally shiitable, a plurality of lever mechanisms for shifting said vertical sections, and a link connecting said lever mechanisms.

5. In combination with a door opening of a garage or structure'of like nature, an overhead door construction comprising a plurality of shiftity of hingedly connected door members for traversing a door opening, said members being capable of shifting from a substantially vertical closed position to an overhead open position, and door sealing means including a vertically disposed laterally shiftable member and lever means all operable in response to the shifting of the door members for causing the lateral movement of said vertically disposed member to thereby effect the sealing of all the door members with the door members for causing the lateral movedoor sealing means including a vertically disposed laterally shiftable member and lever means operable in response to the shifting of ment of said vertically disposed member to thereby efiect the sealing of all the door members with respect to the door opening, said lever .means being automatically operable only when the door members approach their lowermost p0 sition'.

3. In an overhead door construction, a plurality of hingedly connected door members for traversing a door opening, said members being capable of shifting from a substantially vertical closed position to an. overhead open position, and door sealing means including a vertically disposed laterally shiftable member at each side of the door opening andlever means'at each side of the door structure and operable in response to the shifting of the door members for causing the lateral movement of said vertically disposed members to thereby effect the sealing of all the ,door members with respect to the door opening.

9. In an overhead door construction, a plurality of hingedly connected door members for- 10dtraversing a door opening, said members being capable of shifting from a substantially vertical closed position .to an overhead-open position, a door sealing means including a vertically disposed laterally shiftable means and a pivoted arm adapted to be shifted about its pivotal point as the door members approach their closed position for initiating the lateral movement of said vertically disposed laterally shiftable means whereby to effect the sealing of all the door members with respect'to the door opening."

10. In a door construction, a shiftable door member adapted to traverse the door opening, a vertically disposed laterally shiftable member positioned at each side of said door opening and 11,5-

adapted to traverse substantially the entire vertical height of the door member when said door member occupies, its door closing position, and means shiftable with respect to said vertically disposed member and said door member in re-' sponse to the movement of said door member when the door member approaches its door closing position to laterally shift said vertically disposed members whereby to effect the sealing of the door member with respect to the door opening.

ALVIN v. now. 

